11:52 am - Attn anachronism policeWho can tell me in what year Newfoundland adopted the practice of adding 30 minutes on to their time zone? Wonkypedia only gives me years when Daylight Savings Time was adopted, but says nothing about those extra 30 minutes. And them's crucial. Much obliged.

Back in the 1770s John Harrison invented the first completely accurate clock (to within a third of a second) that was seaworthy (and would therefore help the navy establish both where they were and when!) which helped to make longitude more easily managed.

In 1884 Greenwich was officially established as Longitude '0' worldwide (it had certainly been so for the UK long before that but there had been some discrepancy as to who got to claim it universally) and so established where the time started. But most places used solar time based on the rising of the sun (and setting, of course) to deal with things. When the railway system started crossing large parcels of land, it became more complex and complicated.

Newfoundland didn't join Canada until 1949. Between 1867 and 1949, Newfoundland often made a point of NOT being part of Canada.

When Time Zones were first officially marked out in 1883, I have a feeling that the True Newfoundlanders (they have their own song!) were probably wanting to make a point. I also found this: "The Newfoundland Standard Time Act of 1935 enshrined this time zone before Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. It is 3.5 hours behind Ireland."

It's one of the many things that make the Rock and its inhabitants so awesome.

The history in the Olson (zoneinfo) time zone package says it was at 3:30:52 (local mean time for St. John's) until March 30, 1935, and precisely 3:30 thereafter. I have a copy of Shanks's The American Atlas at home and can check whether it agrees if you want.